Is there a pushchair compatible with car seat suitable for baby over 13kg?

[NashBridges]

Hello there - I live in the country and can't drive (I'm trying - but getting nowhere fast). Inevitably it's quite isolating sometimes... It'd make it much easier to get lifts places with my baby boy if we had a pushchair which had a clip-in car seat... But he's now 6 months old, so (given the cost) it really needs to be something we can use beyond 13kg. I also want something that enables him to face me, and (ideally) it'd be good if it folded reasonably small (again, this would help me to get lifts).

Any thoughts, anyone? To be honest, it doesn't have to be the world's best pram - it just needs to help me to get out and about, and it'll be job done...

Thanks in advance for your help

The Britax Baby Safe SHR II is from birth to 15kg. There's one that has 'plus' in the name that's only to 13kg so be careful to check. I'm sure it would fit on something-I'll have a look.

Apparently it fits with any of the britax pushchairs that have their Click and Go adapters. i'm pretty sure the B-Mobile has this and it also folds really small.

Here's the B-Mobile and this is the carseat.

I looked into this a couple of years ago. Nothing doing then, as most car seats for over 14kg/9 months ish easily available then were forward facing and just not the kind of shape to fit on a buggy chasis. Things may have moved on in the last few years.

I was looking up that car seat and everyone says it's up to 13kg not 15...The only 15 mentioned is in 12-15 months of age...Those car seats are ok until the head it approximately an inch above the top of the seat...It doesn't matter if legs are too long...My 2 year old DD still fits in hers as she still has another 2" before her head is too high, meanwhile her legs dangle at least 8" over the edge...She hasn't complained she's uncomfortable as she readily gets into the seat.

I did this search on Google and there are quite a few saying birth to 15kg but are all second hand or on eBay. I assumed it was an old version of the current Baby safe carseat. Do you think they're just mistaken about the weight limit? That's amazing your daughter still fits. Mine probably would too but I've got birth to 18kg seats for her now so I'm not using her first seats.

DS didn't outgrow his infant seat until 18 months, in length. He's 2.5 now and I'd guess he's roughly 13kg now. He was nowhere near 13kg at 6 months - I think that would be very unlikely. How much does he weigh at the moment? You're not confusing kgs with lbs are you? (Anything's possible with sleep deprivation :))

I don't drive either and the carseat I chose after DS outgrew his baby one (which I hung onto until the bitter end!) was the kiddy infinity pro. It's a lot more lightweight than other seats and near enough universal fitting. It still doesn't fit onto a pushchair chassis though. I don't think any will, because the baby type seats are a lot more reclined than the forward facing ones - even extended rearfacing seats are very bulky and would likely tip a buggy over.

The only solution I can think of is either take taxis, and specify accessible ones, so you can push the pushchair into the wheelchair space, although accept this is less safe than a proper car seat. Or use taxis without a car seat (this is legal but again your judgement WRT safety) - or get the kiddy car seat and a double buggy, and put the carseat in one side while he sits in the other, although this might look a bit strange. Or a single buggy and good supportive sling for your DS, like a toddler SSC or a wide strap mei tai.

Once he gets to 15kg he can legally use a small booster so things might be easier then - you can even buy inflatable ones of these. Again it's not ideal for safety, but perhaps you will be able to drive by then anyway.

aswellas - the thing with second hand or ebay listings, apart from not knowing the history of the seat, is that the weight limit listed might not be correct, as it's not direct from the manufacturer. Ie someone might have made a mistake when they typed it in or been confused in the first place.

I suppose it could be worth contacting Britax to check. But OTOH it doesn't look any bigger than a normal infant carseat, so it's likely most babies will outgrow it in length before hitting 13kg, let alone 15kg.

Bertie my DS is just 6 months, weighs nearly 11 kg and is 2foot tall so she may have a big baby like me My DS more than fills his car seat and we are struggling to afford a suitable replacement!

The only one I have seen, by the way, is an American seat called the sit-n-stroll. It definitely won't be legal over here because US car seats don't have the European safety marks, but I don't see why it wouldn't be safe, it's evidently passed the US tests. I don't know whether a police officer is going to examine your car seat that closely to check whether it has the European standards mark on it. And of course it would be a hassle and might be expensive to get one imported.

Oh, really?? I knew DS was small but I didn't realise they varied so much

Have just found this about the sit n stroll by the way: www.babyworld.co.uk/wb2/default.aspx?action=91&read=550526&fid=56

(And I'll stop posting now )

The Britax SHR Infant carriers are definitely only up to 13kgs but my tall two and a half year old is only just over that limit so I certainly wouldn't worry about kgs AT ALL!!! At 15kgs most children 'officially' are too heavy for a pushchair as UK pushchairs with a few exceptions are only tested to 15kgs as this is the typical weight of a three year old! So honestly any infant carrier will last you weight wise. However what I would look for is the height of the back of the seat. A baby should be moved from an infant carrier once it's eyes are level with the top of the seat unit. I have a Maxi Cosi Cabriofix and a Britax SHR II Plus (or whatever it is without looking it up!). The Britax definitely has a taller back but my 21lb son (don't know the kgs) has plenty of room left in his Cabriofix. I understand the Maxi Cosi Pebble has a taller back too. So personally I would get a tape measure, head for Mothercare or a good independent retailer and do some measuring whilst at the same time bearing in mind what pushchairs the set will fit. In general the Britax seat will only fit the Britax pushchairs but with Maxi Cosi you will have a huge choice including small fold pushchairs like the Quinny Zapp, Baby Jogger City Mini, Bugaboo's, Maxi Cosi and more. Also just to add, Bertie, I thought children were not allowed onto a booster seat until they were X height (I think it's 130 something cms tall - I know an eight year old who is the correct height and a ten year old that isnt) and that height is more important to be met as a criteria than weight for booster seats although weight will need to be met too IYKWIM? Before that children need to be on a proper car seat with a back.

Here's the sit n stroll. I really like it! I have the Klippan Kiss 2 that you can take the baby seat out of to wheel around. It's only up to 10kg and quite short so won't last my daughter too much longer but it's fun to play with!
I have no issue buying second hand as long as I feel like I trust the seller, personally. I think the chance of someone having a seat that's been in a crash or dropped and then trying to sell it is very small. I'd take it straight to the tip if mine had been damaged.
Anyway, feel free to assume the seat I linked to is only up to 13kg.

Sorry I am wrong - I was thinking about the age / height a child can come off a booster seat. But they arent really advised until over the age of 3 which is supposedly 15kg like you said. Apologies Bertie. My brain wasn't in gear!

So, from what you say it seems that the weight might not be an issue as babies don't normally exceed 13kg until they are really toddlers... (I had anticipated my little chap would probably cross that threshhold over the next six months, but I suppose that their growth rate slows so perhaps not). However, he's likely to outgrow the first stage car seat in the forseeable future anyway because he'll be too tall for it - and there are no second stage car seats which are legal for use in the UK and clip onto a pushchair base. Does that sound about right?

If so, it appears there is no good solution for me (the taxi one, as you say - but we're very rural and it's prohibitively expensive to get round this way). I'll just have to pass my driving test! A pity that's proving a bit of a problem...

Thanks for your help on this - much appreciated, even if the answer isn't what I wanted to hear. Keep me posted, please, if you have any further thoughts.... I can't imagine me passing my test any time soon!

Thanks again

It definitely seems that way. Have you looked at the centile chart for height as well? To be honest, I have no ides how quickly babies grow heightwise after 9 months (my daughter's age) so it might be the case that he won't actually outgrow a seat as quickly as you think. In my experience, I would say the Maxi Cosi Cabriofix will last the longest in terms of height.

That sounds about right but it's a long time and would have a resale value. I would get one to be honest because I think you will be surprised how long your baby will be in it and at least it gets you out and about!

My son is almost 11 months, is almost 21lbs and is on the 90 something percentile ie very tall. He still has several inches before the top of his head gets near the Cabriofix top of the seats and then several more inches before his eyes get to the top. For short journeys I bet your baby can stay in an infant carrier well beyond the age of one, and a Zapp chassis (used ones are better) can be picked up for under £50.

i would also suggest what cuilfordnanny suggests and go for a maxi-cosi cabrio and a zapp frame :)

www.ababyoutlets.com/product/?product_id=20410

But maybe impossible to import plus very expensive.

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